W Va hospital early adopter of mandatory flu shots

AP ^ | Saturday, August 29, 2009 | TOM BREEN

[Brugmansian]

As flu season approaches, West Virginia's largest hospital has given its employees a choice: Get a flu shot, or get another job . . . A mandatory flu shot policy like CAMC's is rare for U.S. hospitals, but it may soon become more common. A New York State law that takes effect this month requires hospitals to provide records showing all their workers have seasonal flu vaccinations or face fines, and

[alice_in_bubbaland]

This may be unconstitutional.

Let’s see the ACLU get involved with this one........crickets chirping

[alice_in_bubbaland]

This is why I will not be getting the swine flu shot:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2327597/posts

[Venturer]

Does this order make them legally responsible for any after-effects that the flu virus may incur.

[pnh102]

Does this order make them legally responsible for any after-effects that the flu virus may incur.

Probably not.

[JavaJumpy]

Some articles are saying this is for the regular flu, and some articles are saying this is for the swine flu. Which is it or is it both?

[Brugmansian]

Hospitals ban child visitors as flu cases rise
The number of confirmed H1N1 flu cases in Arizona tripled over the past week after a dip earlier this month.

[Born Conservative]

I was a young teen in 1976, but remember it being on the news. A coworker (RN) was working in the hospital at the time, and tells me that it was terrible. They rushed the vaccine, and had all of these cases of Guillian Barre Syndrome.

Not so sure that this will be a problem with this year’s vaccine, as it’s 33 years later. And back then, I believe it was PREDICTED that there would be a pandemic, but it never materialized. Now, we’ve already had a pandemic.

The current vaccine is just now under clinical trials, and isn’t yet ready for prime time.

If I were not in a high risk group, I wouldn’t consider getting it. But I am in 2 of the high risk groups (health care worker and have a kidney transplant), so I will have to at least take it under consideration.

The Swine Flu SO FAR doesn’t seem to be any more virulent than seasonal flu. However, that can change; there is already a strain that is resistant to anti-virals.

[maine-iac7]

turning up the heat on the frog water

[maine-iac7]

here's another reason : I would print this article from the CDC out and take ti to any one that said I HAD to get the shot.
and I would tell them that if they made me get it and I got even a sniffle, they'd be hearing from my atty.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090826/ap_on_he_me/us_med_swine_flu

When even the CDC makes such a statement - there is NO legitimate reason to force people to get it - except as an exercise - one more - to get the people used to following orders, no matter what.

Along with the piece, as you posted, from 60 minutes - I think most empoyers would back down.

[maine-iac7]

You say: “The Swine Flu SO FAR doesn’t seem to be any more virulent than seasonal flu...”

So says the CDC (not following orders from the little Caesar?)

(I'll bet they've had a call from him - he's got $50,000, reportedly, of his own money invested in the vaccine - and they want people to take 3 of the shots this time. The investors stand to make some serious bucks.)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090826/ap_on_he_me/us_med_swine_flu

[Jim Noble]

Does this order make them legally responsible for any after-effects that the flu virus may incur.

Here's the problem: Current, provisional CDC guidance about H1N1 "swine" flu makes hospitals and doctor's offices responsible (and therefore liable) for persons who contract swine flu (or who claim they do), but not regular flu, while on the premises.

Under those circumstances, mandatory vaccine for employees is being pushed, hard, by hospital lawyers and insurance companies.

Not without reason.

[alice_in_bubbaland]

Good luck to you! I am not in any of the groups, so I’ll pass. My daughter is a volunteer EMT and is 24 years old. Maybe she should get the shot.

[sweetiepiezer]

flu ping

[Born Conservative]

I don’t dispute your statements, and given the massive amount of corruption in OUR government, I wouldn’t at all be surprised that there is a component (small or significant) of financial incentive involved here.

I’m looking at Swine Flu strictly from a health perspective. The fact remains that viruses do mutate, and there have been reports of a Swine Flu strain that is resistant to antivirals (again, FWIW).

One must understand that anti-virals do NOT kill viruses; they merely slow down the rate of replication, so that your immune system has time to take care of the virus.

If one is in a high risk group, such as myself, anti-virals may potentially save a life. (I’m immunosuppressed due to a kidney transplant).

If the vaccine is effective, then that is one more tool in the arsenal. It’s all about risk vs benefit.

No one can predict the course of this-NO ONE, and nobody can predict the efficacy of the vaccine, as well as if it will cause major problems. Hell, the CDC or anyone can’t predict with 100% accuracy which strains to include in the seasonal flu shot.

It’s all an educated guess.

And yes, it’s difficult to know what we see, read, or hear in the media is truth or propaganda.

[neverdem]

thanks, bfl